On Wednesday night in late February, the members of Scared Scriptless gathered
in the dim, cozy entrance to Cryano's Off-Center Playhouse. They haphazardly
launched aqua paper streamers across a long table upon which sat an empty punch
bowl.
The aquatic theme of the party celebrated a farewell, honoring the tall Ross
Emerson and his short-haired, bright-eyed wife Laura, who would soon depart on
their Valiant 40 Cutter sailboat to cruise the Pacific Ocean.
Scared Scriptless scrapbooks soon lay across the table, and Emerson related how
he first saw the woman to be his wife. He thought she was with the press to do
an interview and was going to let her in free. But her honesty cost a $5
admission, and she took off before Emerson could woo her after the performance.
She was in another production in town, so he persisted and the couple was
married that summer. The Emersons shoved off March 3 and left behind seven
actors and actresses to carry in their traditional second-Saturday-of-the-month
shows at Cyrano's, which showcase their usual -- but never ordinary --
short-form improv.
The late-night events follow the house play and cater to audience participation.
Recently, the troupe branched into a larger audience at the Wilda Marston
Theatre. It was the first night of public revelation about a year in the making,
Emerson said. These days Scared Scriptless’s long-form improv features a
technique of on-your-toes, seat-of-your-pants non-scripted acting developed in
the 1960s by Del Close and Charna Halpern. Instead of the familiar single-scene,
short-form similar to television’s "Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” the long-form
involves an opening-game theme that flows through three scenes, a monologue,
another three scenes, a second game and a final three scenes.
The progression to long-form seemed natural given the troupe’s improvement in
the last three years. Constant rehearsing prepares the entertainers for the
challenge of the highly-structured, long-form show, Emerson said. Rehearsals
focus on the techniques of good impromptu delivery, rather than practicing a
scene. The actors must be ready for any idea the audience wants to throw at
them. The effects of these achievements often spill into parts of members'
lives.
"In improv, in its true sense, everybody grows," Emerson said.
Other members offer similar examples.
Becky Sheridan joined because she had a crush on a guy who was trying out for
the troupe. Now the two are engaged. "I did some imrpov in college. Why not?
Much to my surprise, I was actually good," she said. "I'm involved in this
troupe because I love performing and it's always a challenge. If we do nothing
creative in our lives, if we don't stimulate our brains somehow, we stagnate as
human beings and become very bored, boring people."
The comedy ensemble started in early 2000 with the three first members
rehearsing at Side Street Espresso for the fun of it. Customers would walk in
each week and respond with suggestions. A few months later the trio performed to
a standing room-only-crowd that "would have had the Fire Marshal running for
safety," Martin said.
Since then more than 20 performers have migrated through, and the troupe has
outgrown more than one performance space before nesting at Cyrano's for weekly
rehearsals and monthly performances.
"We have a secret hand shake and are not above sacrifice of small woodland
creatures and chanting if we think it will help the performance," Jason Martin
said.
Before he left, Emerson passed the bookkeeping responsibilities to Lou Nathanson.
The gate receipts pay for advertising, Web sites, programs, posters, prizes and
Randall Peck's Halloween candy indulgences. The entertainers also perform in
fund-raisers throughout the year for charities.
Christina Weber handles the publicity, Martin handles the Web site and booking,
and Martin, Nathanson and Tracy Campbell oversee the creative management. All
the actors work in local venues and productions. For Janet Stoneburner, an
Alaska North Star Productions employee, acting is a full-time job. Peck dabbles
in stage production, and Campbell hopes to move her directing talents to the
East Coast.
"The troupe has morphed during my 2.5 years,” Weber said. “Some people move on.
Some people move out of state. It's bittersweet, sad to see friends go, [but
it's] exciting to think about having auditions and recruiting new energy."
Anyone interested in trying out for a part should see Scared Scriptless first,
participate in the March improv workshop and then attend the annual audition in
April. You don't have to know the secret hand shake to get an audition, Weber
advised.
No departing member can really be replaced, but the possibilities are endless
for new personalities to join the talent of Martin, Weber, Peck, Nathanson,
Campbell, Sheridan and Stoneburner.
"I feel I am a piece of bark just falling off a growing tree," Emerson said at
his Bon Voyage party.
SCARED SCRIPTLESS performs each second Saturday of the month at Cyrano’s
Off-Center Playhouse. For more information check out
www.scaredscriptless.com.